Carol of the Caveman
by Alyssa86InMN
Summary: Rick & Kate go out to Q3 for their anniversary and run into Maddie.


**A/N: This was a prompt from Tumblr.**

Five months after the birth of her daughter, Kate hoped the dress she bought for her and Rick's second anniversary the year before would actually fit. She bought the dress a week before finding out she was pregnant with Lily and three weeks later the dress was too tight. The months leading up to their third anniversary, Kate would frequently attempt to try on the dress, but it never quite fit. The morning of their anniversary, Kate decided to give the dress one more chance before she would have to give up and shop for something later in the day.

She slid the red sheath dress over her hips and slipped her arms into the sheer, lacy sleeves drawing the dress over her breasts before the moment of truth. Inhaling a shuddery breath, she reached behind her and slowly pulled up the zipper. Each of the zipper's teeth linked to its complement before stopping at Kate's mid back where the two sides of the dress divided into its intended V. While the dress sat differently on her body than Kate remembered from the year before, it wasn't snug or restricting like it had been the last few attempts at fitting. She knew the dress would please her husband, especially since from the front, the modest scoop neckline appeared demure and tame, but the deep V-back was an unexpected surprise that Rick was going to go crazy over.

Kate loved her daughter more than anything, but she missed how her body felt before the pregnancy. The dress fitting again helped her feel like her old self and her current self were finally merging to become her new normal.

Kate peeled the dress off and slipped it back on the hanger so she could get ready for her half day of work before she would come home to spend the remainder of the day with her husband and daughter. In the evening Rick had made a reservation for their anniversary dinner at Q3, her old high school friend's restaurant. Kate hadn't seen Maddie since the murder of Q3's head chef years before and she could only imagine the teasing Maddie was going to throw her way when she found out that Kate really wanted to (and did) have "little Castle babies" like she indelicately accused her of.

The short day at the precinct was thankfully uneventful allowing Kate to easily escape without worry. When she stepped toward the entrance of her home, she could hear the giggly squeals of her baby and her heart fluttered with a love she never thought she was capable of feeling until Lily came along. Rick's booming voice drifted to the hallway and Kate knew he was performing his comedy routine again for Lily, which consisted of caveman impersonations, contorted facial expressions, and exaggerated voices.

Sneaking inside the loft, she spotted her husband in the living room, hunched over and ape-like while their daughter was perched upon the sofa in a fit of laughter.

"Did the clock strike twelve and Daddy turn back into a caveman, Lily?"

Rick shot himself upright again at the sound of Kate's voice and grinned as she approached him. "You should probably kiss me so I can turn into a prince before our date."

"I thought that only applied to frogs?" Kate played along.

"It wouldn't hurt to check."

Kate smirked and leaned forward to capture his lips. Pulling away with a glint of mischief in her eyes, she said, "hmm, it doesn't appear to have worked."

"Hey!"

Kate patted Rick on the chest before moving past him to greet Lily.

 ***KB+RC***

When Alexis arrived for her babysitting duties at five o'clock, Kate and Rick disappeared to their bedroom to get ready for the evening. Kate barricaded her husband from the bathroom so she could surprise him when she was finished. After spritzing herself with the perfume Rick loved, Kate gave herself a final once-over then exited the bathroom. Rick was standing with his back to her when Kate entered the bedroom. She admired him while he was still unaware of her presence.

"I see that kiss had a delayed affect because there appears to be a prince in front of me now."

Rick spun around with a salacious grin that quickly morphed into a stunned but lust-filled gaze as he took in his wife's beauty.

Kate stood in front of him playfully posing while Rick struggled to find his words before sputtering out, "forget being a prince, I want to be a caveman right now."

Desire flushed across Kate's cheeks. She leaned forward and whispered into Rick's ear. "When the clock strikes twelve you have permission to go all caveman on me." Pulling away she spoke in a normal tone, "but for now I was promised a nice dinner with a prince."

 ***KB+RC***

The hostess at Q3 seated Rick and Kate promptly after their arrival. Kate hoped to keep an eye out for Madison, but found herself too entranced by her husband to focus her attention elsewhere. Madison, on the other hand, thought her eyes were playing tricks on her when she circled her restaurant ensuring her patrons were satisfied. She took a closer look at the couple sitting at table twenty-three and realized it was her old friend Kate Beckett, looking even more beautiful than the last time they saw each other. Weaving around the tables, Madison kept her sight on Kate afraid if she looked away that her friend would disappear.

"Bex?"

Kate turned toward Madison's voice, her smile beaming, before she stood to embrace her.

"Maddie! I was hoping I'd get to see you!" Kate exclaimed. "You remember Rick Castle, my now husband."

"Husband, Kate? I knew I wasn't far off with my accusations of Castle children on your radar." Maddie reached for Rick's hand, "nice to see you again, Rick!"

"Nice seeing you again, too!"

"So Kate," Maddie grabbed a chair from a nearby table and took a seat next to Kate. "I heard about you getting shot last year but I never found out what happened with you. Now I can see you are doing great, for which I am grateful." Maddie placed her hand over Kate's forearm.

"We are doing wonderfully. Castle and I are here celebrating our third wedding anniversary."

"Oh Kate, I can tell you are really happy. I imagine this guy over here has something to do with that." Maddie smirked as she pointed her thumb in Rick's direction.

"He's not the only reason," Kate stated as she reached for bag that held her phone. "Let me show you something."

Kate pulled up a picture of Lily, her expressive blue eyes the focal point of the photo and the obvious evidence of her being a Castle baby. Kate turned the phone in Maddie's direction and awaited her reaction.

"Oh my God, Kate! Is this your little Castle baby?" Maddie took the phone and gaped at the child on the screen. "She's gorgeous!"

"That's our Lily and had I known that having 'little Castle babies' would result in children as beautiful as her, I probably wouldn't have dawdled as long as I had before marrying him." Kate glanced across the table and gave Rick a bashful smile.

Maddie reached to embrace Kate in a hug and whispered in her ear, "I am so happy for you."

After the two separated, Maddie realized she was needed in the kitchen, but before she left she insisted the two of them go out for drinks sometime to catch up.

Alone again with his wife, Rick grasped her hand on the table and gave it a quick squeeze. "I understand my exceptional genetics might have gotten you to marry me sooner had you known how beautiful our offspring would be," Castle smugly grinned.

"It seems the caveman returned earlier than expected. I only hope he can control himself until after we leave the restaurant," Kate stated as she looked over her menu, refusing to meet her husband's gaze.

"There'll be no guarantees. Maybe Maddie has a coat closet we can use for a bit."

Kate shook her head, biting back her smirk and tried to focus on what she wanted to order instead of ravishing her caveman husband the second they leave.

 **Tumblr: MonaLyssa33  
Twitter: AlyssaWriting**


End file.
